#5f5 


IN  III  I  Ml  Mi  IN   U  II    IMI 


No.,37. 
WHAT  TAN   I  DO? 

BY    REV.    T.    V.    MOORE,   D.    D.,    RICHMOND,  VA. 


Tnis  isaqucstion  that  is  often  asked  by  those  on  whom  the 
matter  of  personal  religion  is  pressed, and  although  sometimes 
asked  in  a  spirit  of  evasion,  is  frequently  asked  in  sincerity. 
We  propose  to  answer  this  question,  and  to  show  some  things 
atleast  that  may  be  done  by  every  one  who  is  really  anxious 
to  know  what  c^m  be  done  to  secure  eternal  life. 

Before  specifying  these  things,  it  may  be  proper  to  say,  that 
none  of  them  are  necessary  prerequisites  to  a  believing  recep- 
tion of  Christ.  It  is  the  duty  of  every  one  who  hears  the 
gospel  to  receive  it  at  once,  and  without  delay,  or  qualification, 
to  accept  the  Saviour  just  as  he  is  oUc'rcci,  Without  waiting  for 
any  more  feeling,  any  more  conviction  of  sin,  any  more  prepa- 
ration of  heart,  or  any  better  state  of  soul  than  when  there  is 
an  honest  det;ire  to  be  saved  from  sin  in  its  guilt  and  pollu- 
tion. To  suppose  that  it  is  needful  to  wait  for  any  protracted 
'preparation,  any  washing  of  the  outer  scales  of  the  leprosy 
before; comip.'j;  to  the  great  physician,  is  to  contradict  the 
whole  icnor  of  the  gospel,  which-  calls  on  the  sinner  to  come 
to  repentance,  on  the  sick  to  come  to  the  physician,  on  the 
!•:? a  vv-laden  tocome  to  the  relieving  hand  that  can  give  them 
But  as  there  are  some  who  say,  "We  know  not  hovf* 
to  come  to  Christ,  we.  find  no  real  or  active  interest  in  our 
hearts  on  this  subject,  our  judgments  are  convinced  but  cur 
hearts' are  utterly  unrnoved,  and  yet  we  are  .willing  to  do 
whatever  may  he  done  to  awake  a  deeper  interest  in  our 
bosoms- and  bring  us  to  the  point  of  a  sincere  and  hearty  sur- 
render to  Christ,  if- we  only  knew  what  we  could  do."  We 
will  try'to-meet  this  desire^and  specify  to  such  persons  some 
things  that  they  can  do,  and  if  they  are  not  mistaken  in  this 
view  dfih'eir  feelings,  they  will  "be  willing  to  do  these  things, ' 
and  the  d6ing  of  them  will  either  impel  them  farther  forward 


2  WHAT   CAN    I    DO: 

to  the  cross,  or  show  them  that  there  is  some  wedge  of  gold 
or  Babylonish  garment,  that  is  hidden  beneath  the  tent. 

1.  You  can  begin  to  consider  ike  question  of  personal  religion. 
It  is  the  want  of  consideration  that  causes  much  of  the 
indifference  you  feel  on  this  subject.  Have  yon-ovtr  given  it 
itone  hour  of  serious  reflection  ?  Have  vou  ever refund  to  your 
yaoiftand  there  carefully  thought  on  *fiis  matter,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  God,  and  with  a  sense  of  his  omniscient  scrutiny  ? 
Have  you  not  rather  banished  it  -Vrotn  your  thoughts,  and 
tried  to  avoid  what  would  produce  serious  re^eeticws?  Have 
you  not  been  afraid  to  go  alone,  on*l  face  to  -feee,  mth  an 
unseen,  but  all-seeing  God,  gaze  on  this  high  and  awful 
question  ?  This  then  you  can  do.  You  can  retire  to  day,  or 
to-night,  to  some  private  place,  and  there  think  of  the.  &ct 
that  you  are  a  sinner,  that  you  are  making  God  your  enemy 

'Wery  day,  that  you  are  standing  in  a  path  that  for  six  thou - 
:>^>M  ves-  -^.^  .   '; '^wept  by  the  whirlwind  of  fetB*g9$W 
fi'i?.\&*i LjJ)  v' ■•     '  ^<:-'  W'V  .  < '"     -Unloosed  at  any  infl$tets$, 
, \^M~ile-)\<  is  3tij&' fa*g! " ' * ■' X  'if '  S  - ■  ■■      id  the  bottomless  afe-ysS' 
■    utt  a  >iifa  petition  that  may  give  way  in  an  instant  by  st*^ 
'  3#®g  v    "u^cid^nt,  that  you  are  hanging  all  the  concerns  of  . 
t  »'  rnity  on  a  mere  rferhaps,  and  that  thousands  have  perished  • 
fay  €oing  just  »that  you  are  doing  now.     Yon  cafrthinik  of 
Calvary — why  Jesus  suffered,  why   you  thmfe.  gg  jittje  of  a 
Saviour's  blood,  and  how  fearful  a  tbjn*r  it  must  be  to  have' 
that  blood  lying  neglected  at  your  fee*.  -Will  you  consider^ 
this  matt^.  not  oneCv '       sg$ifty  'jjSh.d'agai*.  until  jvm  feel  tbjA  . 
you  are  hi  ,$#nwir".mt  ^rst  .'..■-'•  •:■•  ■•>.w-^'->-.  •.  vr-...:"    ^  *-,,y;T.*  ..- 

2.  T^u'  ran.  /./-i^  '  You, jsay  '-tligfciyi  ^.  ^H^ot^e^**.  .<fte" 
yourself,  or  char  >:e  fcy.a^y  uireci .  :a|J  yonran^wtiof^fihat 
God  alone  can  do  -VKelhings.'  Has^nc&God  Baidfkj»--he  is  ' 
\vittm|r  &><£©  the.  .  ^r  alT  who  desired  iU  If  you  •  reajly  •'..-- 
these  tliingft,  you  &&n  pray  fw  fcheha,  for  praye* ■■iS^rt'fy-aSiiV 
O0fer'i:>;  up  of  our  desires  to  God  for  thii^s  ai^sed  V  to  his 
will,  in  the  name  of  Clmsi  Jesus.  T|i«&  n»  you^j^der,  you 
jiuvr  pray*  andat'i^si  say,  "Got!  be  merciful  ^  me,a #i*n»er,?' 
Antf  iif  this  pray^t? "Is  sincerely  ofr#red,  you  have  the  assn;rarive 
*factw«  regard  to  theVeertainJy  rvith  which  it  will 
Ue  answers...  . 

3.  }  You  lwe  the  BiU.e.    'Read  the  Slst 
Psalm-  t%e  ^dii»u53lh  <*f  baiah;  the  12th  10.  loth  chap- 


WHAT    CAN    I   DO.  3 

ters  of  Luke  ;  the  3d  chapter  of  John;  the  4th  and  5th  of 
2d  Corinthians,  or  similar  portions  of  Scripture,  which  may 
readily  be  found.  You  can  get  religious  boosts,  such  as 
James's  or  Henry's  Anxious  Inquirer,  the  Great  Question, 
the  Way  of  Life,  Baxter's  Call,  the  Memoirs  of  McCheyne, 
Henry  Marty n,  or  some  of  the  many  excellent  works  so  easily 
accessible  by  the  distributing  agencies  of  our  religious  litera- 
ture. Head  them  daily,  and  keep  your  soul  thus  in  contact 
with  Uie  great  facts  of  religion.     Do  this  every  day. 

4.  ¥o>i.  &M  avoid  what  will  dissipate  serious  refection.  You 
know  Wttfjithis  is  by  experience,  for  you  Jvnri  jr*ht  it  in 
various  for /us.  The  jpersons,  the  things  <j  \, .  y  g,  and 
/diking,  and  acting,  that  are  unfriendly  t  ,  ,  fyg'pjf-     fought, 

9u  know  better  than  any  one  caa  toM     ^>  uid  Vhinge 

fo\\  cvi  avoid,  and  thus   !  ,     ""JO'VU^  exwtk 

i'fom  *he  .fowl*  *  iat  pick  i/-^v     : '    y*\     '\    '*  r    *■'  •  . 

5.  Yon  san  seek  ihc  n&p^'.7*  •>.     >    I '  t  b :i  can  go  tO-   ''" 
your  pastor,  or- soutf  ChV'^an  (*  uiin  to  explain 
i»e  Way-f ■'•iaivafcon  Ui  'yon •'.*,, )J i  !  nJ-'y  "Mo  -o  with  your 

•'  m   i<   y      r  roHy   Mi-'y/.'.r  ^..r./iir  not  with  yogu- 
rt! iar*pfiysiciau  wiun  .•:;  f0«  can 
noX  only  attend  church  otrs-u'e  Snbbath, .  kt  can  attend;  the 
weekly  lecture  and  the  praye¥-fnee;i:>:z.  The  ver>vr.eascte Vhat . 
makes  you  shrink  from  altendinj  lie  fea-'  • 
^^(•r-howUl  take  you  there,  if  you  are  :n  eafjue^tti  wha^  ' 
f    ?     ihall   ye  seek  me  and  find  ise->vh*n-yc, 
earch-tt              '*4i  all  your  heart."  '♦.;_/•' 
A>,    J?/;/,  can  resfi.  i  -  :o'-'c..";a?(.  .  ^ 
fi  ■""■:  y.o~    real  dt4Mfc$£y     i#  •       -.  J    _•  ■*»■•  »•■   ■              £-'.» 

E-.tfie  r«a       '  T  yVu'r  Uitheu^T  >,^/?V>*. '    •    ^ 

.  \iw      « 'vvv-'you  muta  ».:  j         '  a  .~>iii  anr/v  :V,%    * 

f  you  are  unwiliit^^VfiivJ^up  your  hold  of  t*  •     *  . 
i  -«st  give  up  your  hope  orrhc  other.     If  vou  *     •  W"-»        '    - 
ur  sins,  take  up  tfc*  Oeeahnguo,  prSal.  v.  L9-2o,  **  € 
v*&— -15,  or  similar  portion  of  iiVd*  word,  and  ^i    v    'V-«*    ; 
^discover  them.      But   vou    do  not  need  &ve$       ,^cv  speci?*'/  " 


-A  WHAT    CAN    I    DOT 

every  one,  and  hence  of  you,  and  he  requires  it  of  you  now. 
Your  secret,  feeling  is  that  these  duties  are  obligatory  only 
on  a  Christian.  But  this  is  a  mistake.  They  rest  on  all,  and 
a  Christian  is  only  trying  to  do,  what  is  binding  on  every 
one,  and  you  among  the  rest.  You  ought  to  do  these  duties 
whether  you  are  a  Christian  or  not.  The  proof  that  you  are 
willing  to  be  a  Christian  will  be  found  in  the  fact  that  you 
are  willing  to  begin  the  discharge  of  these  duties.  If  unwill- 
ing, you  do  not  desire  really  to  be  a  child  of  God  ;  if  willing, 
begin  them  now,  for  they  are  binding  on  you  now  ;  you  are 
a  rebellious  child,  but  still  a  child,  and  bound  to  do  all  the 
duties  of  a  child,  and  if  you  wish  to  return  to  your  Father, 
that;  wish  will  be  manifested  by  beginning  to  obey  him  as  a 
child,  ilere  again  is  the  second  great  test  of  your  sincerity. 
8i-  You  can  then,  try  to  look  to  Jesus  for  pardon,  for  strength, 
for  holiness,  for  happiness,  and  for  eternal  life.  You  can  try 
to  believe  that  Jesus  will  do  as  he  has  promised  to  do,  save 
those  who  strive  honestly  to  trust  and  obey  him.  Is  it  not 
strange  that  this  should  require  any. effort?  Then  try  these 
things,  and  as  you  take  one  step,  you  w Ml  see  more  readily 
IjOW  and  when  to  take  another. 


i''T-Ho'0<?H  you 'need  to  be  prepared  for  heaven,  before  you 
can -enter  there  ;  you  need  no  preparation  to  come  to  Jesus. 
If -you  come  aright,  you  will  come  just  as  you  are  ;  with  all 
your  guilt  upon  you,  that  he  may  pardon  it;  with  all  your 
fUthVthat  he  may  cleanse  you  from  it;  with  a  heart  as  hard 
a's:  adariiamt  and  as  cold  as  winter,  that  he  may  remove  it  and 
givcyou  an  heart  Of  flesh-;  full  of  disease,  that  he  may  restore 
youv  to  tihea&b;  naked,  that  he  may' clothe  ydu  in  his  6wn 
glorious  righteousness; 

"  Make  no  preparation  whatever.  But  as  the  blind  f 
at  Jericho,  when  he  heard  that  Jesus  was  passyjirr  bvTcmd 
out,  '  Jesus,  thou  Son  of  David,  have  mp,;t.y  on  me  '  So  do 
you.  Cry  out  unto  him  In  simr^  ^  approach  him. 
Tell  him  all  you  feel,  all  yon  ^eai,4  Tell  him  what  y0U;have 
been,  and  what  you h*;;;.  done.  Hide  nothing.  Excuse  noth- 
ing Tell  put  U; «  whole  simple  ti^th,  without  trying  to 
make  anyi'nirig  better  or  worse." 


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